Menu

The Menu is a directory of prices for all the goods and services that are available for sale to customers.

The menu is composed of:

  • dishes – items that are prepared in the kitchen to be sold to customers: soups, main courses, salads, pastry, cocktails, etc. Dishes are always linked to compound stock items, i.e. stock items that have recipes and belong to the With recipe class. When dishes are sold, the corresponding compound stock items are deducted from the store via sales records.

  • goods – items that are purchased ready for sale, such as bottled mineral water, cigarettes, sweets, etc. Goods are always linked to simple stock items, i.e. those that belong to the Simple class. When goods are sold, the corresponding simple stock items are deducted from the store via sales records.

  • servicesgames, taxi reservations, etc. Services are not linked to stock items. When services are sold, no stock items are deducted from the store. Services are divided into the following types:

    • timed services – games such as pool or darts, where the amount charged for the service depends on the duration of its provision. The amount charged is set for a specific period of time (hour, minute, etc.). For example, a water park visit, game of pool, etc.

    • simple services – services which are provided for a fixed charge. For example, cinema tickets, fines, etc.

  • prepaid credits – preliminary payment methods used by customers to pay for goods and services. For example, cover charges, luncheon vouchers, etc.

  • modifiers – supplement items that can be coupled with main menu items. For example, side dishes or desserts.

You can set various sales settings, price schedules, discounts, and markups for menu items. You can also temporarily exclude some menu items from sale across all locations, in particular divisions, or on a select set of POS terminals.

A menu can be composed of various sections, making it possible to use a single catalogue in multifunctional facilities like clubs, entertainment centers, etc.). In order to extend the range of services offered to customers, simply add new groups , items and modifiers to the menu.

Figure 5.4. Single menu in an organization with multiple distinct departments


A chain enterprise can also use a single menu, but apply it to all its outlets. Changes that are made to the menu from the main office are propagated to all outlets in the chain.

Figure 5.5. Single menu in a restaurant chain


Information from the Menu directory is displayed in the POS terminal menu and used to select dishes, goods and services to be included in orders. At the same time, all selected menu items are inserted into the relevant documents.

Data from the Menu directory are inserted into corresponding documents from the Sales system, including orders, bills and receipts. Data from these documents and the Menu directory are used for generating various reports.

Menu items can be given full and short names.

Short names are only displayed next to items in POS terminal menus.

Full names appear in sales-related documents (orders, bills, and receipts) as well as in print layouts of various reports. They are also used in POS terminal menus to display a menu item if a short name has not been specified for the menu item.

Menu items either can be sold at fixed prices irrespective of the time of sale or can be linked to a price schedule, which specifies how the price will vary during the course of the business day. A price schedule contains a list of prices and the time intervals within which these prices are applicable. For example, a cinema ticket can cost £5 for performances from 10:00 to 12:00, £10. from 12:00 to 18:00, and £15 - for the rest of the business day. Price schedules can also be used to exclude certain items from sale during particular time intervals.

This kind of price schedule can be helpful in attracting customers during off-peak hours.

Menu groups allow you to combine menu items and configure access rights.

Menu groups and menu items are linked to buttons on POS terminals or other devices used at service points.

The structure of menu buttons corresponds to the structure of items and groups in the Menu directory.

Based on menu groups and items, you can create derived groups and items. These derived menu groups and items use attribute values of their respective baseline objects.

Each menu item must belong to one of the following classes:

  • dishes and goods – menu items linked to stock items. Dishes are always linked to compound stock items, i.e. stock items that have a recipe. Goods are linked to simple stock items, i.e. stock items that do not have a recipe. Dishes and goods will be assigned to the Stock item class. Prices for these menu items either are fixed or vary according to price schedules.

    The ratios of menu item quantities to their corresponding stock items are set in the Menu directory.

  • timed services – menu items that are not linked to stock items. When sold they will be processed as part of the Timed service class. The amount charged will depend on the length of time of the service. When calculating the total amount charged for services, price changes based on price schedules will be taken into account. Example: a client wants to bowl from 9:45 to 11:00. The price for bowling is £15 per hour from 7:00 to 10:00 and £20 per hour from 10:00 to 17:00. Therefore, the client will pay for 15 minutes (1/4 h) at the £15 rate and 1 hour at the £20 rate. Payment total = 15/4+20=£23.75.

  • simple services – menu items that are not linked to stock items. When sold they will be processed as part of the Simple service class. Prices for simple services can either be fixed or vary according to price schedules.

  • prepaid credits – menu items that can be used by customers to pay for dishes, goods and services (for example, a deposit or preliminary payment). When sold they will be processed as part of the Prepaid credits class.

Dishes, goods, timed and simple services, and prepaid credits are made available in the POS terminal menu and are offered to customers based on the rules and prices specified in the menu.

Each dish or article can only be linked to one stock item. For example, when 1 portion of Skipper's salad is sold, 150 g of the Potato salad with herring stock item is deducted.

Different menu items can be associated with the same stock item, but the proportion of the menu item quantity to the stock item quantity will vary. For example, when selling either a glass of house wine or a bottle of house wine menu item, the same stock item - house wine - will be deducted from the store. In the first case 150 ml of the stock item will be deducted, but in the second case - 0.7 l (1 bottle) will be subtracted.

The Menu directory also contains modifiers. A modifier is an additional component that can be included into an order along with the primary menu item. Example: a choice of side dishes or a complimentary glass of wine with an entrance ticket. As a rule, these additions and their corresponding primary menu items are charged together, but in some cases customers pay for them separately.

Each modifier has a specification composed of one or more groups of items. Every modifier must contain at least one group, and every group must contain at least one item. A modifier specification containing its items and groups is made available to the POS terminal user when a menu item linked to this modifier has been added to an order.

When items are joined into groups, more than one modifier can be selected at once for a single menu item. For example, we might have two modifier groups: Side dishes and Sauces. When adding a menu item to an order on the POS terminal, both a side dish and a sauce can be added to the order.

Only one modifier item from each group can be added to the menu item. For example, you cannot add two different sauces to a menu item. If you need to add different modifier items from the same group to an item, these modifier items must be duplicated in separate groups.

A modifier group can be specified as required or optional. If the group is specified as required, one of its modifier items must be selected before its accompanying menu item can be added to an order. The menu item can only be offered with a modifier. For example, if the Side dish modifier is specified as required for a menu item, this menu item cannot be sold without a side dish.

One of the items in the modifier group is usually set as the default option. It is recommended to set a default option for groups marked as required (usually the most popular item or the only one in the group). For example, Soda can be set as the default modifier for the menu item Whisky.

Modifiers are not displayed in the terminal menu as items that can be added to an order by themselves. They are only sold together with other menu items.

Examples of modifiers, groups and items:

  • Condiments is a modifier with a group containing the items Sour cream, Mayonnaise and a group containing the items Greens, Garlic.

  • Pepper is a modifier with one required group containing the options With pepper, No pepper.

  • Cocktails is a modifier with a required group named Ice containing the options With ice, No ice (the option No ice can be set as the default) and an optional group named Extras containing the items Lemon, Salt, Sugar.

  • French onion soup is included into the Soups modifier group linked to the Set lunch menu item. This dish can be sold either as an individual item or as a part of a set meal.

  • The menu item Lemon sliceis flagged as a modifier in the sales parameters and therefore cannot be sold as a standalone item. However, it can be added to any other dish as a modifier, e.g. to tea or cognac.

Customer preferences about how to prepare a dish can be described by modifiers (e.g. through a Doneness of steak modifier with the options Well-done, Medium). In this case the Class for menu items included in a modifier specification must be set to Simple service.

You can specify any menu item as a modifier. To do so, navigate to the item's sales parameters and set Yes in the Modifier field.

Use the Menu directory to manage menu items and groups and the Menu groups directory to manage menu groups. Changes to menu groups in the Menu directory are made available in the Menu groups directory, and vice versa. These directories are only available for editing in Tillypad XL Manager.

The current menu is used by the Drafts directory as a basis for creating a new draft menu (see Draft menu directory).